


An Unimportant Date

by MissLee, ready_to_kick_some_ass



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Developing Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Parentlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 04:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12100953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLee/pseuds/MissLee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ready_to_kick_some_ass/pseuds/ready_to_kick_some_ass
Summary: I originally saw the first part of this on Tumblr (the break between @currently-in-my-mind-palace 's work and my own is at the ***) and it wouldn't let me reblog it and add my own bit so I'm posting it here.Starts off angsty and then gets all cute and stuff.Kind of just a bit of fluff really.





	An Unimportant Date

**Author's Note:**

> [Original piece by currently-in-my-mind-palace](http://currently-in-my-mind-palace.tumblr.com/post/161284199867/i-wont-be-back-very-late-john-says-while-he)

* * *

“I won’t be back very late,” John says while he puts on his jacket. His _date_ _jacket_. “This is only the second time we're meeting, I hardly expect she’ll invite me home!” He laughs.

Sherlock doesn’t laugh. He stares at John, who now also puts on his _date shoes_. Rosie stares at her father too, with a finger in her mouth. “At least she isn’t too shocked that I’m a single father. Not like that other woman.” _A single father. Why does it hurt when he says that,_ Sherlock wonders with a hint of confusion.

“Well, I’m off now. Phone me if something’s wrong okay?”

“Okay,” Sherlock answers mechanically. John goes to him and gives Rosie, held in Sherlock's arms, a short kiss on the forehead. Sherlock gets another smile and a “See you later! Thanks for your help.” Then John is gone.

Suddenly, it’s much too silent in the flat.

Sherlock looks at Rosie. She looks at him too, and he smiles although he doesn’t feel happy.

Rosie always make him smile. It’s like a rule.

 _Smile when Rosie looks at you_.

“Here we are,” Sherlock whispers and rocks her on his lap. “The woman your father is dating is awfully boring. But I bet she would be a good mother.”

A good mother.

Because that's what Rosie needs, right? A mother.

Suddenly, Sherlock feels very distressed. His chest seems to be too tight to breath properly. Rosie seems to notice something, because she frowns and looks like she’s about to cry. “No,” Sherlock says quickly. “It’s all fine, don’t cry. What do you think about some violin now, hmm? I know you like it.” Rosie giggles, as if she would have understood him. Sherlock smiles. “I love you,” he tells Rosie seriously. “I also love your daddy. It’s different … But that’s a secret, you understand? It has always been a secret. Some things in life must stay secrets.” And he lays a finger on his lips. “Shhh!" He breathes and Rosie giggles again.

***

John stands just outside the door to 221b, boring holes through the wood, listening.

He’d meant to leave immediately, having not wanted to miss his chance with an admittedly boring but very pretty lady, but instead found himself standing stock still, listening to the deep baritone of Sherlock’s voice soothe his daughter.

He could barely hear the first few words, could only make out the ‘boring’ and ‘good mother’, but then he’d heard Sherlock rush to quieten Rosie before she got upset, and his voice rose just enough to make out ‘I love you, I also love your daddy,’ and it had cut off into a low murmur before he heard ‘Some things in life must stay secrets’ and the little giggle that followed from his perfect daughter.

Suddenly, he didn't want to go on a date with some woman who could never hope to be as important as the two people only a few feet away from him. Taking a deep breath, John pushed open the door and was met with the carefully constructed mask of indifference that Sherlock often wore these days and a blank look from his daughter.

“John, I di-”

“Did. You. Mean. It,” he interrupts, suddenly furious with wasted years and missed opportunities to say how he felt. Still feels.

The idiot has the gall to pretend he doesn’t know what John means, “I’m afraid I really have no clue-”

“You, just now, you said you loved me. Did you mean it?” He asks, slightly softer than before but still using what Sherlock privately calls his Captain's Voice.

Somehow, through everything Rosie has remained silent, seemingly having a small sense of awareness regarding what was going down between her fathers.

Now though, Sherlock can’t look at John, can’t even look above him or to the side so he looks at her and quietly asks for any God out there to at least not let him lose her as he was about to lose John.

“Yes.”

John let’s out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The things he’d wanted before Mary and The Fall suddenly seemed possible and so _so_ close. He’s wearing the biggest grin that feels like it could split his face if it were to get any wider but Sherlock still isn’t looking at him. “Sherlock,” he implores, “Sherlock look at me.” Slowly, as if bracing for the worst Sherlock turns his head to face John who’s eyes are in danger of welling up. “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed and fingers crossed I'll have something proper for you all by next week <3
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://missleeismyname.tumblr.com/)


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